How To Mess Up An Edge Through "Careless" Stropping

[Eli Chaps]

My Spyderco Manix 2 Lightweight in plain ole BD1 has been an outstanding knife for me and is my go to "gots stuff to cut" knife. It's tough and forgiving of harder work. I will often grab this guy to trim back finger-sized green branches and such. The edge comes back quick and is ready for the next time I need to call it into service.

A while back I came into possession of a couple sheets of high quality diamond polishing sheets. They have adhesive backs so I cut a couple pieces to fit on hard plastic. 1 and .5um.

I've been very happy with using on them with my S90V M2LW, S30V, etc. But with those knives, I'm always more focused and deliberate.

But after some yard work the other day, I thought I'd drag the dulled BD1 across these guys and I wasn't deliberate. End of the day, tired, diamond on this steel? Bah.

But I botched it.

Angle was wrong and too many strokes. Thinned the edge out too much and compromised it. I've never had this knife chip on me and it shouldn't. All my doing.

Always learning...

 

[tinfoil hat timmy]

So. Was the spi e of your blade too high or too close to the strop?

I'm guessing too close to the strop?

I have a hard time visualizing this type of stuff so I have to ask in my own words.

I hope that comes back for you. A bit of TLC should have you back in action?

 

[Eli Chaps]

So. Was the spi e of your blade too high or too close to the strop?

I'm guessing too close to the strop?

I have a hard time visualizing this type of stuff so I have to ask in my own words.

I hope that comes back for you. A bit of TLC should have you back in action?

Oh I'll work it out just fine.

The second picture really tells the tale. See how even that bevel is compared to the first and third pictures? Too high on that side.

An "aggressive" medium used on a very forgiving steel married to sloppiness equals...

 

[Ourorboros]

IIRC, BD1 felt pretty gummy on my water stones. Diamond must rip through it like knives in foam.
Well life always gives us reminders.

 

[bflying]

And here I thought I was just special doing these types of things. My sharpening skills improve ever so slightly, then a little complacency sets in, and.....BAM!! I end up goofing one or more of my favorite blades.

 

[Eli Chaps]

And here I thought I was just special doing these types of things. My sharpening skills improve ever so slightly, then a little complacency sets in, and.....BAM!! I end up goofing one or more of my favorite blades.

Yeah. I try to be as honest and transparent as possible so others see that we all mess up sometimes.

 

[Craig James]

Eli, must admit I’m surprised you’ve been able to thin the blade that much just on diamond films via stropping. Seems more likely you’ve hit something Or thinned too much on the stones??

 

[Eli Chaps]

Eli, must admit I’m surprised you’ve been able to thin the blade that much just on diamond films via stropping. Seems more likely you’ve hit something Or thinned too much on the stones??

I don't think so. It's been a while since I sharpened this guy but I do believe the last time was on my KME. I was messing around with those strops for a good while and figure I got carried away and wasn't paying attention. I've been working on higher carbide stuff lately and this BD1 is very responsive. I'll probably clean it up this weekend on the KME just to be sure all is reset. Nothing I'm concerned about.

 

[Eli Chaps]

Eli, must admit I’m surprised you’ve been able to thin the blade that much just on diamond films via stropping. Seems more likely you’ve hit something Or thinned too much on the stones??

Well sir, you are correct.

The fellas were talking stropping and making me realize that the odds I messed this up on strops, diamond or otherwise, were low. I knew this, but talked myself out of it I guess because I thought I used my KME on it. I must've been wrong.

So I resharpened on a Fine India and then some honing on a hard Arkansas. I studied the edge under mild magnification and it was even and smooth (still a couple chips near the tip). Light strop on bare leather and nice and sharp.

Today I intentionally worked it a bit on the diamond strops at a poor angle on one side. Then examined the edge and barely, if any, perceptible difference.

So yeah, turns out angle on the stones is important. Whodathunk huh?